1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording and reproduction apparatus, an information signal source and an information recording and reproduction method.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term xe2x80x9clearningxe2x80x9d herein means that an optimal value of a control parameter is obtained by evaluating recording and reproduction performances while changing the control parameter. An information recording and reproduction apparatus includes a recording and reproduction section for recording and reproducing an information signal to and from an information medium, an interface connected to an information signal source, a buffer memory connected to the interface and used to temporarily store an information signal, and a control parameter update section for updating a control parameter based on an optimal value obtained by learning. The information recording and reproduction apparatus further includes a recording and reproduction control section for controlling the recording and reproduction section based on the control parameter updated by the control parameter update section. A host system (the information signal source) includes a buffer memory for temporarily storing an information signal to be transferred to the information recording and reproduction apparatus.
Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 8-153348 discloses an optical recording apparatus in which an optimal value of a parameter for writing or reproducing data to or from a magneto-optical disk is obtained with reference to a correction table and parameter table.
Japanese Laid-open Publication No. 8-180621 discloses an off-track correction method and an information recording and reproduction apparatus for performing learning based on a change in temperature during execution of a command.
The above-described conventional information recording and reproduction apparatuses perform learning, and update control parameters when temperature is transitioned to a predetermined value or more.
During a time when learning for updating a control parameter is performed, the recording and reproduction section cannot record or reproduce an information signal to or from an information medium. If an information signal cannot be recorded in an information medium during learning, an information signal from the host system (information signal source) is transferred to the buffer memory. The buffer memory of the information recording and reproduction apparatus may become full, and then the buffer memory of the host system may become full. In this case, the transfer of an information signal from the host system (information signal source) to the information recording and reproduction apparatus is stopped.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction apparatus comprises a recording and reproduction section for recording to, or reproducing from, an information medium, an information signal, a recording and reproduction control section for controlling the recording and reproduction section based on a control parameter, an interface connected to an information signal source, the information signal source being adapted to provide a permission to update the control parameter, a forbidden flag section including a forbidden flag indicating the presence or absence of a permission to update the control parameter, the information signal source being operative to set the forbidden flag, and a control parameter update section for updating the control parameter. The control parameter update section is adapted to update the control parameter in accordance with a permission to perform updating from the information signal source when the forbidden flag has been set by the information signal source. The recording and reproduction control section is adapted to control the recording and reproduction section based on the control parameter updated by the control parameter update section.
In one embodiment of this invention, the information recording and reproduction apparatus further comprises a first buffer memory connected to the interface and used to temporarily store the information signal, and a first buffer memory space detection section for detecting a space of the first buffer memory. The control parameter update section is adapted to update the control parameter based on the space detected by the first buffer memory space detection section when the forbidden flag has not been set by the information signal source.
In one embodiment of this invention, the information recording and reproduction apparatus further comprises a temperature detection section for detecting an ambient temperature of the recording and reproduction section. The control parameter update section is adapted to update the control parameter based on the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection section when the forbidden flag has not been set by the information signal source.
In one embodiment of this invention, the information recording and reproduction apparatus further comprises an update flag section including an update request flag indicating the presence or absence of a request to the information signal source to update the control parameter, and an update permission flag indicating the presence or absence of a permission from the information signal source, in response to the request, to update the control parameter. The control parameter update section is adapted to set the update request flag, and thereafter update the control parameter when the update permission flag has been set by the information signal source. The recording and reproduction control section is adapted to control the recording and reproduction section based on the control parameter updated by the control parameter update section.
In one embodiment of this invention, the information recording and reproduction apparatus further comprises a temperature detection section for detecting an ambient temperature of the recording and reproduction section. The control parameter update section is adapted to set the update request flag based on the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection section.
In one embodiment of this invention, the information signal source includes at least one of a forbidden flag control section for setting the forbidden flag and a second buffer memory space detection section for detecting a space of a second buffer memory included in the information signal source. The second buffer memory temporality stores the information signal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information signal source connected to the information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprises a second buffer memory for temporarily storing the information signal, at least one of a second buffer memory space detection section for detecting a space of the second buffer memory and a forbidden flag control section for setting the forbidden flag, and an update permission flag control section for setting the update permission flag based on a predetermined condition.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using the information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprises a) detecting that the forbidden flag has been set, and b) updating the control parameter in accordance with the permission to perform updating from the information signal source when it is detected in step a) that the forbidden flag has been set.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using the information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprises a) detecting that the forbidden flag has been set, b) detecting a space of the first buffer memory, and c) updating the control parameter based on the space detected in step b) when it is detected in step a) that the forbidden flag has not been set.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using the information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprising a) detecting that the forbidden flag has been set, b) detecting a space of the first buffer memory, and c) detecting an ambient temperature of the recording and reproduction section based on the space detected in step b), d) updating the control parameter based on the ambient temperature detected in step c) when it is detected in step a) that the forbidden flag has not been set.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using the information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprises a) detecting that the forbidden flag has been set, b) detecting an ambient temperature of the recording and reproduction section, c) detecting a space of the first buffer memory based on the ambient temperature detected in step b), and d) updating the control parameter based on the space detected in step c) when it is detected in step a) that the forbidden flag has not been set.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using an information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprises a) detecting that the forbidden flag has been set, b) setting the update request flag when it is detected in step a) that the forbidden flag has been set, c) updating the control parameter when the update permission flag has been set by the information signal source, and d) clearing the update request flag after step c).
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using the information recording and reproduction apparatus, comprises a) detecting that the forbidden flag has been set, b) detecting an ambient temperature of the recording and reproduction section, c) setting the update request flag based on the ambient temperature detected in step b) when it is detected in step a) that the forbidden flag has been set, d) updating the control parameter when the update permission flag has been set by the information signal source, and e) clearing the update request flag after step d).
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information recording and reproduction method for recording and reproducing an information signal using the information recording and reproduction apparatus and the information signal source, comprises a) setting the forbidden flag, b) detecting that the update request flag has been set, when the forbidden flag has been set in step a), c) detecting a space of the second buffer memory when it is detected in step b) that the update request flag has been set, d) setting the update permission flag based on the space of the second buffer memory detected in step c), and e) clearing the update permission flag when it is detected in step b) that the update request flag has not been set.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of providing: (1) an information recording and reproduction apparatus, an information signal source and an information recording and reproduction method which can perform highly-reliable recording and reproduction; (2) an information recording and reproduction apparatus, an information signal source and an information recording and reproduction method which can continuously transfer an information signal between the information recording and reproduction apparatus and a host system (information signal source); (3) an information recording and reproduction apparatus, an information signal source and an information recording and reproduction method which can continuously transfer an information signal between the information recording and reproduction apparatus and a host system (information signal source) while performing learning for updating a control parameter; and (4) an information recording and reproduction apparatus, an information signal source and an information recording and reproduction method which can request to a host system (information signal source) a permission to perform learning for updating a control parameter, and can perform learning under a control of the host system (information signal source).
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.